Yakitori is grilled chicken speared on sticks. All different parts of the chicken, thighs, skin, liver, etc. can be used for yakitori. The following recipe shows one of the most popular kind which is prepared with chicken thighs and leek. Yakitori is popular among salarymen when they go out together after work. It is especially delicious with some hot sake.

Ingredients:

Chicken thighs: without bone and skin

Japanese leek (negi*), leek, or green onion

Soya sauce

Mirin* or sake*

Sugar

Honey or maple syrup

Small wooden spears

* This ingredient may not be available in Western supermarkets, but you should be able to find it in Japanese grocery stores that exist in most large European and American cities.

Direction:

Mix together 4 tablespoons of soya sauce, 3 tablespoons of sugar, a little bit of honey or maple syrup, a little bit of mirin and water, and heat it up until it’s homogenous.

Cut the chicken thighs into about 3x2x2cm large pieces.

Put the chicken pieces into the already prepared sauce, and let it stand for a while.

Cut the leek or green onions in about 3 cm long pieces.

Spear three or four pieces of chicken and some leek on each wooden stick.

Grill them, or use the oven at 200 degrees celsius. (You may want to wrap the wooden sticks with aluminium foil; otherwise, they may burn off.)